Talios
Before Talios became a country, the area was populated by a clan called Lumberel clan. It was not entirely settled, and before long it found itself engaged in war with the Reclilt clan, the people who would eventually form the nation of Aiur. The war was lengthy, bloody, and caused horrific experiments that resulted in the Chimera Incident. However, the Lumberel people eventually did win that particular war, and for a brief time knew peace. History, however, doesn't really take much of a liking to peace. Before long, the clan was beset on multiple fronts: on one side, the First Meztec Empire, a nation which would later crumble due to a slave uprising. On the other side, the newly formed nation of Aiur, under the iron fists of a tyrant who would set the tradition for the nation for years to come. It was in this time of strife that Talion was born. He was a skilled youth, and as he grew up he found himself quickly climbing the military ranks to become a general. He was a talented soldier, whith great intellect and wisdom, but even with his skills, Lumberel was still losing the fight and would soon be conquered. One particular member of the Lumberalian council, a devilish fellow known as Droran, saw the failing war efforts as an opportunity and made a deal with the Aiuralian tyrant that would bring him unimaginable wealth if he convinced the council to become part of their empire. Morale was exceedingly low at this point, and the people were so shaken that the council was on the verge of being convinced by Droran. However, Talion went to visit Droran, as they were old friends, and discovered a document detailing Droran's agreement with Aiur. Talion flew into a rage at this act of treachery, and beheaded Droran then and there. Talion immediately went to the council, carrying Droran's bloody head in one hand and the treasonous document in the other, and gave a speech which was later titled "The Litany of the Restoration," which renewed the pride and confidence of the entire nation as the scribe's record spread like wildfire. Inspired by his words, the council declared Talion to be their long-awaited king and quickly prescribed any prophecies they could find to his ascension. One of Talion's first acts as king was to secretly launch a group of spies on a slander campaign within Aiur, having them state that Talion could easily beat the Aiurish Emperor in a duel. Talion had studied the tyrant of Aiur and knew him to be both proud and stupid. The Emperor challenged Talion soon after, falling perfectly for his trap. The so-called "Iron Emperor" had to keep up appearances, and when he came for the duel he wore a suit of armor that was massive, covered in spikes, and above all else showy. Talion had prepared himself far more subtly. Knowing that detection magic and armor enchantments were not legal in Aiur (at that time), Talion had his wife, Joanna, and her circle of fellow mages, cast a spell on his greatsword to make it seem mundane and entirely unmagical to anyone not of his bloodline. The blade was in fact very magical, and could destroy any armor with a single blow. Prior to the duel, both parties had mages inspect the weapons and armor of their opponent to ensure a fair fight. When both sides found no trace of magic, the duel began. Talion had no trouble dodging the slow swipes of his enemy's blade, and circled behind him to slash at his back. In a flash of light that seemed to all assembled to be the work of the gods, the Iron Emperor was reduced from an armored titan to a naked man with a great gash from his right shoulder to his left hip. His armor had become a pile of rust around him. Talion spared no time in taking advantage of the confusion, and urged his armies into a surprise attack that routed the assembled Aiurish forces, momentarily ending the war on that front as the Aiurish nobility scrambled to hide their embarassment and replace their emperor. Talion proceeded to win the fight against Meztec, drawing them into a stalemate until their political system fell in on itself. He proceeded to reign for a long and happy era in Talian history, ending with his eventual death which was attributed to grief when his second daughter died. Unknown to any is the fact that the death of Talion and his daughter were the result of a deal made with an immortal entity. Talion sold their lives so that his kingdom would become mighty and prosperous, and so that even if it someday fell in name, it would never fall in spirit. Talian history paints Talion as the chosen of the gods, and perhaps even a son of the gods, though it is difficult to discern what truly happened from their accounts. Joanna proceeded to aid her and Talion's son in his rule, and founded the Order of the Raven, after her late husband's favorite animal. The mages have affected Talian culture to this day. The current political structure of Talios has a King with a council of lesser barons. It is divided into 16 precincts with a small standing army defending each one from bandits, Binturians, undead, drow, sharks, undead sharks, undead Binturians, and other random calamities. Most of its combat ready denizens are either Wizards, Scouts, or Guardians. Also, a recent poll at BanditCon named it "the only place that isn't a complete shit-pit." Its citizens are generally pretty content, if occasionally a bit xenophobic. Category:Places